Ask any hockey fan where Auston Matthews is from, and they’ll immediately shout "Arizona!" They aren't wrong, honestly. But if you want to get technical—the kind of technical that wins bar bets—the answer to where was auston matthews born is actually San Ramon, California.
He didn't stay long. We’re talking two months. His parents, Brian and Ema, packed up the newborn and headed to Scottsdale, Arizona, before he could even crawl. So while his birth certificate says Northern California, his soul is pure Sonoran Desert. It's a weird start for a guy who ended up being the greatest goal-scorer in Toronto Maple Leafs history, isn't it?
The California Connection and the Move to the Desert
Auston Taylour Matthews arrived on September 17, 1997. His dad, Brian, was a former college pitcher at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, and his mom, Ema, had moved to the States from Hermosillo, Mexico. They met in a way that sounds like a rom-com script—on a flight where Ema was working as a flight attendant.
They settled in the San Francisco Bay Area briefly, but the pull of Arizona was stronger. Moving to Scottsdale changed everything. If they had stayed in San Ramon, maybe Auston would be a San Jose Sharks fan. Maybe he would have stuck with baseball, which his dad actually thought was his better sport. Instead, he landed in the Valley of the Sun right as the NHL was trying to make "desert hockey" a real thing.
Basically, Auston is the ultimate "non-traditional market" success story.
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Why Most People Get His Hometown Wrong
When we talk about where was auston matthews born, we usually conflate it with where he learned to skate. It makes sense. You don't associate San Ramon with ice rinks. You do associate Matthews with the Arizona Coyotes.
He was two years old when his dad and uncle started taking him to Coyotes games. He wasn't even watching the players at first. He was obsessed with the Zamboni. Seriously. The big machine driving in circles was more interesting to him than the actual hockey.
By age five, the game finally clicked. He started playing at a place called Ozzie Ice. This wasn't some Olympic-sized arena. It was a tiny facility with synthetic ice and rinks the size of a backyard. This is a huge detail people miss. Because the rinks were so small, he had to play 3-on-3. He couldn't just skate away from people; he had to handle the puck in tight spaces with three kids hacking at his shins.
That "phone booth" hockey is why he’s now able to stickhandle through three defenders in the NHL today. It wasn't a disadvantage to grow up in Arizona; it was his secret weapon.
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The Cultural Mix: Mexico, California, and Arizona
You can't talk about where he's from without talking about his heritage. His mother, Ema, brought a massive piece of Mexico to the desert. Auston grew up eating his mom’s cooking—chicken tortilla soup is still a go-to for him—and he’s proud of that Mexican-American identity.
It’s a cool dynamic. You have:
- A dad from California with a baseball background.
- A mom from Mexico who knew nothing about hockey initially.
- A kid in the Arizona desert who wanted to be the next Shane Doan.
This mix is why he chose the number 34. It’s a nod to his favorite baseball player, David Ortiz ("Big Papi"). His own nickname, "Papi," is a direct link to those roots.
The Unconventional Path to the Pros
Because he was born in late September, he missed the NHL draft cutoff by just two days. Most kids in his position would have gone to play college hockey or headed to the OHL in Canada. Not Auston.
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He went to Switzerland.
He signed with the ZSC Lions in Zurich when he was just 18. Imagine being a teenager from Scottsdale, moving to a country where you don't speak the language, just to play pro hockey against grown men. His mom moved with him to make sure he had a home-cooked meal, but that year in Switzerland proved he was ready for the big leagues. It was the final piece of a journey that started in San Ramon and detoured through the Arizona heat.
What You Should Take Away
Knowing where was auston matthews born is more than just a trivia fact. It’s a look at how the geography of hockey is changing. You don't need to be born on a frozen pond in Ontario to become an elite center.
If you're a parent or a young athlete in a "warm weather" state, Matthews is the blueprint. He didn't have 50 rinks within driving distance. He had a few small sheets of ice and a lot of determination.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check out the local youth programs in Arizona like the Arizona Bobcats—the same program Auston played for.
- If you’re ever in Phoenix, visit the Arcadia Ice Arena. It’s one of the spots where the "Matthews Method" was born.
- Follow the growth of the NHL in Utah and the Southwest; the "Matthews Effect" is the reason those markets are even viable today.